rife

adjective

ˈrīf How to pronounce rife (audio)
Definition of rifenext
as in filled
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified a city government that is rife with malfeasance and corruption

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rife Speculation was rife; one unproven theory was that someone had heated the sensor with a hairdryer. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 The returnees have strained local communities, many of which already have scant resources in a country where poverty is rife and malnutrition stalks the most vulnerable. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 Trump has repeatedly called for this prohibition, falsely claiming that mail-in voting is rife with fraud. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026 Isakov spoke of the pain his parents had endured, his nine siblings having died young in the 1930s and 1940s, when poverty and disease were rife across the region. — Colin Millar, New York Times, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rife
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rife
  1. filled
  2. crowded
  3. fraught
  4. abundant
  5. awash
  6. packed
  7. teeming
  8. jammed
Adjective
  • Maybe the sign-up flow has too many fields, the first action users need to take isn't obvious or there's a setting that should have been pre-filled.
    — Kelli Behan-Aspland, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Wall Street Journal featured Reese alongside WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson on its magazine cover, even after Caitlin Clark broke numerous records, filled arenas, and set new marks for WNBA broadcasts.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Definition of filled
Adjective
  • As neighborhoods become more crowded, smaller cars are easier to maneuver.
    — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Many brands, particularly in today’s ever-more crowded and competitive makeup environment, might have launched anyway.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of crowded
Adjective
  • Panettiere and Hickerson had a fraught relationship, and he was previously arrested for domestic violence.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The warning lands at a fraught moment in the broader race to build AI.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of fraught
Adjective
  • The location provides key advantages, state officials said, including access to abundant natural gas and the ability to launch to a wide range of trajectories.
    — Stephen Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Voya says its fuel can be made from low-grade scrap aluminum, giving the system a potential route to turn an abundant waste material into a source of firm electricity.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of abundant
Adjective
  • The public and private markets are awash with cash for anyone with a plan to make a dent in Nvidia’s lead.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This will encourage the plant to refocus its energy on producing new blooms, so your garden will be awash in color again in no time.
    — Lauren David, Martha Stewart, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of awash
Adjective
  • Between long flights, road trips, weekend workouts, gym sessions, theme park days, packed family schedules, and workdays that run longer than expected, tired legs and feet can quickly become part of the routine.
    — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Yadkin board’s moratorium decision was met by applause from the packed room.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of packed
Adjective
  • The new findings are confounding scientists’ expectations, raising questions about how exactly molecules can encounter their reactive partners in a teeming, crowded space — and therefore how cells can possibly function.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of teeming
Adjective
  • Residents described idling in traffic as roads became jammed with evacuees.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Even when turned off, internal components like microswitches or thermal relays can fail or become jammed by breadcrumbs, potentially causing the heating element to turn on unexpectedly.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of jammed

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Cite this Entry

“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rife. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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